1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fiber optic connector which comprises a socket or receptacle to be coupled to a transmitter including a light source, and a plug to be coupled to a receiver through an optical transmission medium such as an optical fiber. The plug is connectable to or insertable into the receptacle to establish an optical path for transmission of a light beam such as a laser beam from the transmitter to the receiver.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
There are known fiber optic connectors which comprise a transmitter socket or receptacle and a receiver plug connected to or inserted in the receptacle to establish an optical path from the transmitter to the receiver. The conventional fiber optic connectors, however, have no provision for blocking or preventing a light beam from being emitted out of the receptacle when the plug is removed from the receptacle during transmission of optical data from the transmitter to the receiver through the connectors. Therefore, the light beam may enter an operator's eye upon removal of the plug from the receptacle while the fiber optic data link is in use. If a high-output laser beam or concentrated laser beam is transmitted through the fiber optic connector, then the operator's eye may get hurt or injured.
One solution is to use protective glasses which are worn by the operator. However, it is awkward for some operators to wear protective glasses. Another problem is that since protective glasses are generally shaded, they make things look darker and less recognizable. Also if a semiconductor laser or the like which emits a light beam outside of the visible spectrum is employed, then the operator often tends to forget to wear protective glasses, letting the light beam directly enter his eyes due to oversight when the plug is separated from the receptacle.